What Now?
by majorslashsquad
Summary: After the draft when Cody leaves for Smackdown and John joins Raw, how are our happy couples going to deal? Randy/Mizzy Cody/Teddy This is slash, people. If you don't like it, don't read it. You have been warned.
1. The Draft

Disclaimer: Alright, guys, you all know the drill. I own nothing, and I am not making a dime off of this, so no lawsuits, please. (Like you would get much from me, anyway.)

It was draft time in the WWE. The crowd was roaring, the action was non stop, and Cody Runnels was dying inside. He had just made it back to his hotel room, and now he had taken to pacing back and forth angrily. Why did he have to go to Smackdown while Ted stayed on Raw? It wasn't fair. But, when creative made up its mind there was no changing it. So Cody dealt with the situation with a solemn resolve.

"I hate this world and everyone in it," he growled under his breathe for the hundredth time that night. "Well, everyone except you, Teddy." He stopped pacing and managed to smile slightly at his lover of 3 years gently. Ted was sitting on their bed smiling back at hearing his pet name.

"It's going to be alright, Codes," he said serenely. "Nothing is going to keep us apart. You are going to do fine on your own."

"How do you know that?" Cody sighed. "This will be the first time I am going to be apart from you and Randy. Did I pay enough attention? Do I know everything I have to know to really get ahead? How do I-"

He was cut short when Ted got up and pulled him into a sweet embrace.

"You are going to be fine. Randy is proud of you and what you've accomplished, and so am I." He pressed a kiss at his lover's temple. " Everything you need to know to succeed, you've learned already. You just need to be confident."

"I'm going to miss you," Cody mumbled in Ted's neck. Ted felt his chest tighten, and he could feel the tears he had been fighting all night form in his eyes.

"I'll miss you, too, Coddles," he whispered. "But it's not goodbye forever. We'll still see each other for pay per views and when you invade Raw." He looked Cody in the eyes, and saw that tears in his love's eyes. "I will always be there for you." They kissed softly.

"We still do have tonight," Cody said, wiping Ted's eyes. Ted returned the intimate gesture, then he leaned in and kissed Cody with more urgency.

"You're right," he breathed. "I think we should make the most of it."

They stood there just kissing for several minutes. Clothes soon started being discarded with the need for the two to feel each others' bodies rising. Before either knew it, they were on the bed moaning at the contact of bare skin to bare skin. It was impossible to tell where one started and the other began as they moved together flawlessly. Both were determined to commit every sound, taste, and touch to memory.

Cody let a small gasp out as Ted slid into his warm heat with practiced ease, leaned forward and captured his lips in the sweetest of kisses. They rocked together, their bodies molded into one. The pace was slow and gentle, and they relished in the feeling trying to make it last as long as possible. The pace quickened only when they felt their impending climaxes.

"Oh, Ted, I'm so close," Cody moaned as he gripped Ted's shoulder's tightly.

"I am, too, Cody," Ted sighed as he moved faster inside his raven haired beauty. Moments later they came together simultaneously moaning each others' names. They stayed together for a while holding on for dear life. The morning would come far too soon for either man's liking, and they would have to go their separate ways, but for now they clung to one another for as long as they could.

After a while,Ted slowly pulled out and rolled over on his side. Cody sighed from the loss of contact, then rolled over and lay his head on Ted's chest. They laced their fingers and shared a sweet chaste kiss.

"Do you remember when we met the first time?" Cody asked.

"We were, what, 10 years old?" Ted chuckled. "You didn't like me very much as I recall."

"I liked you alright," Cody replied laughing. "I just liked teasing you is all."

"You put food coloring in my hair while I was asleep, Codes. I had green hair for a day and a half."

"Yes, but you love me, anyway." Cody rested placed a tender kiss on Ted's chest.

"Yeah, you know I do." Ted tenderly ran his fingers through the other man's hair. "I know it's going to strange not having me around, but you are going to be just fine on your own. This is going to be the start of something awesome for you."

In another room not far away where the two were staying another couple was dealing with their own issues. Of course their problems involved the arrival of someone Mike Mizanin didn't really want to deal with. And he was pissed off.

"This sucks!"he fumed. He was currently sprawled out face first on the hotel bed that he shared with his lover, Randy Orton. Said lover was now sitting next to him trying to calm him.

"Mike, you can't get yourself worked up over this," he said soothingly. He rubbed Mike's back gently, feeling more at ease as he felt his lover relax. "We both knew that John was probably going to come to Raw this time. He's going to be getting more of a push; the crowd loves him. Not as much as they love me, of course." he added smugly. Mike rolled over and rested his head on in Randy's lap.

"You don't understand, baby. The way he left was terrible."

_Flashback, last years draft..._

_ "How could you, John?" he said with an air of calm he didn't think was possible. It was three hours before the show was starting, and he had walked in on his tag team partner and boyfriend kissing no other than Nick Nemeth, better known as Dolph Ziggler. "After all that we've been through, you're going to just move on because I'm on Raw now?"_

_ "Look, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but Mike," John thought for a moment. "I've fallen out of love with you. We're just too different, and with the distance..."_

_ "Our differences never mattered before!" To his own horror Mike felt tears form in his eyes. He ran to John and wrapped his arms around the other man, as if he could somehow make him stay. John stiffened in the embrace. "Please don't leave me." John gently pushed Mike away from him._

_ "Please don't make this harder than it has to be," he said firmly. "It's not like what we had was all that serious, anyway." Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing._

_ "How can you say that?" His voice was cracking, and tears fell down his face. "You were the only person I have ever loved. I thought what we had was special, how can I ever be with anyone else?" Now he was babbling, and he felt like a complete fool. John put a hand on Mike's shoulder._

_ "You're going to be alright, Mikey," he said gently. "Just move on, and try to be happy." He leaned in and gave his now distraught ex a chaste kiss on the cheek and walked out of their locker room. As the door closed, Mike sank to the floor crying, his heart broken into a million pieces.  
How was he going to move on?_

_Back to the present._

"Wow," Randy said as he cradled Mike's head in his lap." What a fucking tool."

"I couldn't believe it was happening," Mike said softly. "He hasn't really spoken to me since then. Of, course I got the last laugh in the end. Giving him that reality check in the ring actually felt kind of good." A ghost of a smile graced his face.

"I'm sure it did," Randy chuckled. He was relieved that Mike was still able to crack a joke. He hated to see the smaller man so upset. Though they had only been together for seven months so far, their relationship had really grown, and he felt extremely protective of Mike. "That was an extremely selfish way to leave you, but you're not going to have to face him alone. You have me now." He leaned forward and captured Mike's lips in a sweet kiss.

"Thanks, baby," Mike said. "I know I have you now. He probably won't want to have much to do with me, anyway. Now I don't know about you, but I am dead tired. Why don't we get some sleep? We have a lot to do tomorrow, after all." Randy carefully stretched out next to his lover and pulled him close to his chest.

"We should get some sleep," he agreed affectionately. "We both know how much of a bitch you can be in the morning if you don't get you're beauty sleep." He laughed when he was elbowed in the stomach.

A/N: O.K. End chapter one. What will happen now that Cody is on Smackdown? Will John's return prove to be a threat? Is Evan ever going to live down that whole stripper thing? All this and more in later chapters.

John C. muse: Am I going to be in this?

Me: Yes, you will be in the next chapter.

John M. muse: Alright, I'm in a storyline. Of course, I'm going to be a complete asshole for most of it, but eh, what are you gonna do?

Me:Someone has to be the asshole. Thanks for being such a good sport about all this.

John M. muse: Anything for a good story line.

Me:That's what I like to hear. So, folks, constructive criticisms are always welcome,and flames will be used to help lower the heating bill. Damn January weather...


	2. Lonliness and Tension

Cody bounded in his locker room with a huge smile on his face. He was excited, happy that his first match had gone so well. Even the fact that the crowd was booing him, it meant that he was able to pull off that smug little asshole persona that he was supposed to be selling to the crowd.

"Hey, Teddy, did you see me out there?" he said. "I was amazing! I can do this on.."

He stopped and his smile faded from his eyes. It hit him again that he was alone. No Randy to pat him on the back and tell him he was awesome out there. There was no John to high five him. Worst of all, there was no Teddy to wrap his arms around and kiss. He sighed and at down on the bench feeling depressed.

"I can do this on my own, but I would rather do it with you."

"Are you alright, Cody?" He looked up and smiled as he saw Glenn standing in the doorway with a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"I guess I'll be alright," Cody replied. "It's just weird now that I don't have Ted with me all of the time."

"I can see how that can be weird for you," Glenn nodded in understanding. He walked in an took a seat by the younger man."Ted will remain faithful to you, though." He gave a bitter snort. " I wish someone would stay with me for more than a month. Stupid Nick."

"Oh? What happened?" Cody hadn't realized that the two were having problems.

"He left me for one of the sound techs," The larger man growled. "He thought he could use me at first to get a push around here, but after that didn't work, he decided to go after someone who was "better looking than me, at least" as he put it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering how he came to me in the first place. Poor John hadn't seen it coming." He stopped in complete disgust.

"Now John is going to be on Raw with Mike. That could be interesting." Cody mused.

"I wonder how that's going," Glenn agreed.

XXX

"This is going to suck." John Hennigan, otherwise known as Jon Morrison/Nitro muttered under his breath as the hotel clerk scrambled around trying to figure out what happened to his reservation. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about being on the same show as his now ex-lover, especially considering how his last liaison had ended. Why he didn't see that one coming was beyond him. He should have seen the gleam of ambition in Nick's eyes. He had wanted to get higher up in the company for quite some time now.

But now was not the time to worry about the past, and as much fun as it would have been to rub a good relationship in his ex's face, his concern for the moment was getting a place to stay for the night. Hopefully, he would be able to get Randy to let him room with him tonight. They had been good friends for ages, and he didn't have that much time to catch up with him in a while. He had heard some crazy ass rumors that he was sleeping with Mike, but come on! What would Randy possibly see in that drama queen? He was pulled from his revery when the young clerk came back.

"We are so sorry, Mr. Hennigan, but we seem to have lost your room. If you would like, I could give you the room numbers of the other wrestlers that are here."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I can just give Orton a call. He owes me a favor, anyway," he laughed winking at the young lady." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Randy's number.

"Hello?"Randy's voice said on the phone.

"Hey, Randy, what's up?" John greeted. "It's been a while, what's going on?"

"Oh, hey John," Randy said. Was it John's imagination, or did Randy sound annoyed that he was calling him?"Nothing much is going on here; how's it going with you?"

"I'm n the lobby right now, and I apparently do not have a room. Would you mind if I crashed with you just for tonight?" The question was met with a silence that lasted for almost a minute.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Mike is staying with me, and he's still kind of bitter about what happened between you two. Why don't you see if you can room with Ted for tonight? I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I guess I could give him a call," John agreed. "I don't really feel like talking to Mike, either. Hey, are you two really dating?"

"Yeah, for a few months now," Randy confirmed.

"Oh, how is that working out for you?" John struggled to keep his tone light. "I mean, after the whole thing with Adam, I 'd figured-"

"This isn't the time to talk about this," Randy interjected cutting his friend off. John heard a door opening and Mike asking 'What's going on?' in the background. With a huff of annoyance, Randy continued. "Just call Ted, and see if you can stay with him. I'll see you later."

"Fine, I'll do that," John said, confused as to why his alleged friend was acting so pissed at him. After successfully calling Ted and getting his room number he picked up his bags and made his way to the room. So, Randy and Mike were dating now? How in the hell did that happen? He could have sworn Randy had better taste than that. Well, _he _had certainly fallen for the little brats innocent act, so he couldn't really blame anyone else for making the same mistake. Still, they were going to have to have a long chat. He did not want to see Randy go through the same shit he went through.

XXX

"Who was that?" Mike asked. He sat down on the bed taking his shoes off. Randy looked at the younger man for a moment debating on whether he should lie to him about who he was just talking to. In the end, he decided to be honest.

"John called me. He wanted to know if he could crash here for the night, because they had messed up his room reservation." He smirked slightly and sat down next to his lover. "I hope you don't mind that I said no."

"Karma's a bitch," Mike said with a smirk forming on his own face. "Who do you think will take him in?"

"I told him to call Teddy," Randy said. "I don't like the idea of him being alone right now. He's been so down lately, it would be nice to have someone with him."

"That's true," Mike said nodding. "It must be strange for the two of them not being around each other all the time. It would be kind of like me without you." He wrapped his arms around Randy's waist. Randy smiled and leaned into Mike's arms enjoying the quiet of the moment. He had a feeling that things weren't going to be this peaceful for long.

A/N: At long last, this chapter is up! I have finally overcome my crazy schedule, sleep patterns, writer's block, etc. Man, it feels good.

Miz muse: I couldn't agree more.

Randy muse: We were starting to get worried about you.

John C. muse: Am I going to be in this story?

Me: Eventually, we are going to have to talk later. For the time being, dear readers, please review. I need all the feedback I can get on this thing.


	3. A Plot?

For the first three weeks, it seemed that Randy's silent prediction proved to be false. There was an air of peace around the group of wrestlers despite some guy going through everyone's stuff and hiding things (the culprit/s remained at large), and a rather amusing argument between Ron and Micheal Cole about the Zupdog t-shirts that kept popping up (Cole: For the last time, what the hell is Zupdog? Ron: And for the last time, nothing much, what is up with you? Cole: ARRRGGHHHH!), things were smooth and uneventful. Ted and Cody were talking on a nightly basis, and Mike really hadn't had to deal with John lately.

Speaking, of Mike, he was currently headed towards Randy's dressing room in an arena they were performing in. He had just finished his match and wanted to see Randy before he went out there. Outside the room was none other then Ted. (Hehehe...you thought I was going to say John.)

"What are you doing out here, Teddy?" Mike asked jokingly. "I thought that you would be out spending time with your girlfriend."

"Very funny, Mikey," Ted sneered, though a smile grace his face. "I need to talk to Randy about something, but he's on his phone, and from the looks of it it isn't a fun conversation."

"That's weird," Mike said, frowning."Well, there is only one way to know what it's about. I'm going in."

He opened the door and walked into his lover's changing room and smiled when he saw the larger man sitting on an overstuffed chair with one leg dangling over one side. He had a deep frown on his face and he seemed to be arguing with the person on the other side of the line.

"Look, I know we've been friends for a while now, but I still don't see how this is any of your business, " he said in a low warning voice. "Yes, I know how it had ended." A pause. "What do you mean, 'I don't know everything'? I know enough, and the rest is none of my business!" Randy glanced at a clock on the wall. "Look, I have a match, I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone and glared at it for a moment before turning his head to see Mike for the first time. "Oh, hey, baby."

"Hey, what was that all about?" Mike asked, realizing who Randy was talking to.

"Oh, John still has my number, and we've been talking every once and a while," Randy confessed not sure how Mike would react.

"I don't care if you two talk," Mike said as of reading his lover's mind. "You two have been friends for a long time. I don't expect that to change just because of what happened between us." They wrapped their arms around each other and shared a sweet kiss. "We might even get to a point where we can be in the same room with each other. We just aren't at that point yet."

"This has got to be tough for you, though," Randy mused. Concerned etched his voice.

"I'll be alright, Ran, honest," Mike teased as he rested his head on Randy's chest. "I just need a little time to get used to this. Things are going to OK." A nice feeling of tranquility fell over them and they enjoyed the moment. "Now, you have a match, and I think Teddy wants to talk to you before you head out there, so.."

XPXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXP

John (C.) was walking out of the arena to get some fresh air when he couldn't help but notice John (H.) was outside arguing on his cell phone. Curious he walked closer, careful not to be seen. Hey, he had already gone through his stuff earlier in the evening (Stupid fools! They suspected nothing!). John did seem to be quite upset about something.

"Look, how long have we been friends?" he heard John growl annoyed. He listened to the answer. "Well, you know what happened, right?" Another pause. "You don't know all of the details, I'm sure. I bet he failed to mention-" He rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm just saying that there was more to what happened than what you were told about, and I really think-" He took a deep breathe. "Fine, I'll talk to you later." He closed his phone and kicked at the ground out of frustration. Turing around he notice John for the first time.

"Hey, it's none of my business," the blond held his hands up as other man started to say something.

"He's my friend," John said. "And there are things about Mike and I that-"

"Have nothing to do with what is going on with him and Randy," John interjected. "Randy is an adult and can make his own decisions about who he sees. Besides, I haven't seen him this happy in a while."

"That's what worries me," John murmured as he started to walk towards the building again. Walking through the hallways, his mind kept flashing bitter memories flashing in his mind.

_"I wasn't flirting with her! We were just talking, you paranoid ass!"_

_ "The crowd always likes you more than me! It's not fair!"_

_ "You've been staring at that guy the entire night! What, do you want to go home with him?"_

All of the old arguments plagued his mind. How had they lasted as long as they did, anyway? Mike was just a jealous little child. And Randy got attention from other people all the time. Surely Mike was going to snap eventually. That's what drove him to Nick's arms in the end. Too bad he was a gold digger...

In any event, he needed to get Randy away from Mike before he could do any real damage. The question was...how?


	4. Oh, Yes Plots Are Afoot

Later on in the week, Cody was sitting alone in his locker room winding down after his match. He stretched out his sore muscles and through on an X-Men t-shirt, still basking from the heat he got from the crowd. He was doing really well for himself, and he was still talking to Ted pretty regularly. Things were looking up for him on Smackdown. He was torn from his thoughts when he heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" He called.

"It's Drew," the voice from outside called. "Mind if I came in?"

"Yeah, sure," Cody said as he pulled his jeans on. He looked up and smiled as the Scott came in and sat next to him on the bench.

"That was a great match tonight," Drew said. "You really are impressive out there."

"Thanks," Cody said. "I have been working my ass off. I guess hanging around with Randy all that time payed off."

"He helped you, sure," Drew conceded playfully, "but you still have a lot of natural talent. It really does show." He smiled warmly at the younger man.

Cody could feel himself blush at the attention he was getting. Of course he was still with Ted, but he found he didn't mind the attention he was getting from his fellow wrestler. He liked the guy and felt he could trust him. The two talked for a few minutes about the show, friends from Raw, and other random crap. After a while, Drew got up.

"Well, I really need to be going. Maybe we can hang out sometime?" he asked fondly as he headed for the door.

"Yeah, sure that would be great," Cody agreed as he grabbed his stuff and started to head out himself.

As the two started to walk out of the building, neither of the men knew that they were being watched.

(_l_)

The figure stalked off to his car, not being able to believe what he had just seen. He was going to surprise young Cody with a little visit as he was in the area for promotional work; they didn't see each other often, after all. Despite rumors to the contrary they got along well enough. But what does he see? He sees him walking with and acting all friendly with Drew. Wasn't that little bitch supposed to be with his precious Teddy?

He had felt an attraction to the Scottish man for quite some time. That long chestnut hair, those wild eyes, and that sexy smirk gave the older man all kinds of fever. It would only been a matter of time before he had the chance to corner him and give him an offer he couldn't refuse. Oh, Coddles! Why did he have to go and ruin it for him?

"I can't believe that he would do this to Ted," he said to himself out loud once he was in the safety of his car. "Well, I need to do something about this."

God, how long had those two been in a relationship? The older man smirked to himself when he remembered the night he had accidentally walked in on them making out at a comic book convention. The look on his face was priceless, and Ted looked like he was going to have a coronary. They then spent the next ten minutes babbling something about having to learn CPR. ("Loosening the person's shirt and sticking your hand on their chest is part of it, seriously. It ensures...breathing.")He wondered how Cody would explain this to his boy if he were to find out.

"We'll find out soon enough," he thought out loud as he drove away. A dark smile spread across his face. If he was going to snatch the man he wanted from under his nose, he was going to have to answer for it; to him and to his real lover. And he just might have a plan.

?

A day or two later, Ted was sitting alone in the room he was sharing with John, who had kind of grown on him a little. He was a bit weary of the other man, but he had so far proven to be a decent companion. He was going over a script for Raw when his phone went off. It was a text from Maryse.

Hey, I think you should check out youtube. Ted frowned. Why would he want to do that? His phone went off again. There is some fascinating footage involving Cody. Ted called her.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her.

"Can you log on?" she asked. Ted went to his laptop.

"Yeah, I'm going on youtube right now," he said.

"Search Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre," the diva said.

"What? Why would I-"

"Just do it!"

Ted rolled his eyes, but he typed in the search. The footage that came up made his eyes grow huge.

"What the hell is going on?"

A/N: ::laughs evily:: So, who is the mysterious man who has a thing for Drew? If you think you can guess who it is, PM me, and I will dedicate the next chapter to you! Will this hurt Ted and Cody's relationship? What John going to do to Mike? Will I ever pair John (C.) with anyone? All this and more on the next chapters.

Randy muse: Coming sometime before 2012.

Me: Shut up, Randy.

John M. Muse: These last two chapters did take a while.

Me: Well, between school, you freaks, and various computer problems, it proved to be a challenge. The important thing is that we are back on track. Read and review.


	5. This Could Get Bad

A/N: No one has guessed who is the mystery man that is making things sticky for Ted/Cody, but we'll see if anyone can figure it out throughout the story. I don't want to make it too obvious. Anyway...

Cody grinned as he was heading towards Ted's apartment. He couldn't believe their good fortune that they had two days off to themselves. This was going to be great. They could work out together, hang out, do fun things that didn't involve clothing, and maybe read some comics. He was so psyched, he almost didn't notice the odd look his lover was giving him as he entered the apartment.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked as he kissed Ted in the cheek. "You seem a little quiet." Ted silently kicked himself for letting Cody notice he was distracted. What was up with that post on YouTube? Who would want to make Cody look like he was cheating on him? And for God's sake, when would Drew start to dress like an American? People were starting to talk.

"It's nothing, Cody, really," he smiled and pulled the younger into his arms. "Just a little tired is all. Randy says hi." Cody didn't quite believe him, but he decided to let it pass.

"How are he and Mike doing?" he asked deciding that arguing right then wasn't going to do anything.

"They seem to be doing OK. John's back in the picture, but he's hanging out with Randy with no problems." He shrugged and laughed a little. "Maybe John and Mike just needed a little time to move on from their thing and this is their way of becoming friends again."

Cody considered this for a moment. "That makes sense, I guess. Hey, did you hear that they are probably going to put me with Drew as a tag team?"

\m/ (.)\m/

Meanwhile, not that far away, a figure stalked back and forth feeling quite upset. How could his generous offer be refused just like that? Why didn't anyone take him seriously anymore? He was in fact one of the more prominent veterans. And was it necessary for the younger Scott to laugh at him when he told him how cute he looked? Oh, he couldn't get anything right, these days.

He let out a frustrated growl as he tried to figure out what to do from that point. Why did Cody have all of the luck when it came to lovers? He heard that Ted was more confused as to why anyone would post random footage of wrestlers than worried about why Cody was talking to someone else. The little brat was starting to get on his nerves.

So, what was a man in his position to do...

(: :'(

Micheal Cole was walking down the halls of the arena about two hours prior to the show starting. He loved this job. Even if he was the butt of the jokes, and he had to pretend to like the Miz, he could live with it. As long as he was able to commentate, he was happy. Especially since he was able to commentate on the beautiful form better known as Randy Orton. Now, that was a man. Every inch of his body screaming Greek god. And he was approaching him rubbing his shoulder. Yes, there is a God.

"Hey, Randy," he said trying to sound casual. "How is your shoulder feeling?" The gentle concern was evident.

"Oh, hey, Cole," Randy smiled." The usual crap with this shoulder, I guess. It hasn't popped out in a while, so that's always good."

Cole nodded sympathetically as Randy sat down for a moment. While Randy was looking the other way at something, he took the opportunity to take in the larger man's appearance. Once people got past the tattoos and the intimidating eyes, they saw a gentle and caring individual and a warm smile. He winced almost at the same time as Randy as he moved his shoulder the wrong way. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and rubbed the shoulder gently.

_"Oh my God, he feels nice..."_

"Enjoying yourself, Mike?" Randy said, slightly amused.

"Oh, sorry," Cole replied feigning embarrassment and slowly moving his hand away. He had wanted to do that for ages. A cough brought him back to reality. "Oh, hi, Mike."

"And just what the hell are you two doing?" Mike said in a mockingly stern voice. Randy suddenly got up in an exaggerated movement wincing slightly.

"Honey, I can explain!" he jokingly exclaimed. "He had his hands on me to make me feel better...I mean his touch was nice..ah fuck!"

Mike laughed and kissed Randy on the cheek, not noticing the cold stare that the announcer was giving him. Suddenly, his tone became serious.

"Are you sure that you are feeling alright?" he asked. "I really think a trainer should look at that shoulder if it's hurting that much."

"No, it's really not that bad. Cole here made it all better." Randy winked at the older man and followed his lover towards the ring to go over some last minute details. The minute they were gone the smile left Cole's face. He sat down heavily, frustrated that the guy he wanted was so close but so far away. What did he see in the smaller man? That reality show has been didn't deserve someone as great as Randy.

He sighed and got up and started to form a plan in his mind. He had to find a way to get Randy's attention. But how?

"Oh, hi, Cole," He turned around at the familiar voice.

"Oh, hi. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing alright. Listen, I know about your little problem. Maybe we can help each other out?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," Cole said, frowning slightly.

"I think you do," the other man said. "I can't stand to see the two together, either. What about the two of us team up on this? You get a new lover, and I make sure his life isn't ruined. Pretty win-win if you ask me." Cole considered this for a moment.

"What do you have in mind?"

A/N: You can still PM me if you think you know who the mystery man screwing with Coddles is. Other than that feel free to review.

Cole Muse: Why am I always the fan girl in these things?

Me: ::shrugs:: It just works out that way.

Randy Muse: You, sir, disgust me.

Cole Muse: I apologize for nothing.

Me: OK...


	6. With Cole In The Mix

At a local diner a few days later, Michael Cole sat across from his partner in crime nursing a cup of coffee and waiting to hear his ideas. Normally he was not a manipulative man, but he just couldn't stand to see Mike with Randy. The younger man was far too childish for his own good, and Randy needed someone with a little more maturity and sophistication. Someone more like himself.

"Why are you trying to help me, anyway?" He asked, still skeptical about the other man's motives.

"As I said before, I want to get with Mike, and you want to get with Randy. We can help each other out, here, but we need to act quickly, " he replied patiently. He knew this was going to be a tough sell, but Cole was starting to annoy him. Not that he was going to show that. He needed his potential co-conspirator at ease.

"Why do we need to act quickly?" Cole asked.

"The longer they are together, the more of a bond they form, "the other said. "That would make it all the more difficult to tear them apart. We need to start making them feel insecure about each other now. I have some ways to take care of that, but I am going to need your help."

"Okay, what do you have in mind for the time being?" Cole asked.

"Mike has a tendency of being jealous. He has a huge insecurity problem. That's part of what led to him having problems with John."

"Well, yeah, everyone knows that! Why do you think I can't stand seeing him with Randy? He doesn't need some whiny little bitch throwing a fit-"

"I get it! You don't like him!" his companion snapped. "I personally don't mind the clingy factor. It's cute as hell, and there is no way that he will ever cheat on me."

"I guess if that's what you're into," Micheal said, laughing. "So how do we use this to our advantage?"

"I already have it planned out. All I need you to do is make sure that Mike feels bad about himself. But you have to be subtle about it. He can't think that you are bullying him, or Randy will show up and defend him."

"And while the fans are chasing Randy around the world just to get a photo with him, he'll turn into a jealous bitch." Cole was starting to like this plan. He had had it out for the little runt for a while now. He could get rid of him and have the man of his dreams at the same time? What could be better?

"Now, keep in mind, I still like him," the man went on to say. "Don't go turning him emo on me. That would kind of defeat the appeal of having him. Still, he's pretty cure, and I bet he's an amazing lay. Why else would Ortz hang around with him?"

"I guess there had to be something keeping him coming back," Cole agreed as he threw a bill on the table. "We'll keep in touch, I hope?"

"Yes, I'll keep you posted on my movements, and you'll let me know how close our little Mikey is headed towards his inevitable breakdown." he sneered. "Until then." He left and headed towards the hotel. Cole followed shortly after, hoping that this plan would work. He had wanted Randy for some time now, and as he crossed the street, to the hotel, he knew this could be the opportunity he had been waiting for. All he had to get rid of was-

"Hi, Mike," he said putting on a fake smile as he passed the younger man.

"Hey, Cole, don't you have to get to the Smackdown taping?" He asked curious.

"I had some things I needed to do here, but I was just headed to pick up my stuff now," he said casually.

"Oh, alright, I won't hold you, then. You'd better be going. Hey, tell Cody I said hi, will you? I haven't heard from him in a while." They both started heading towards the doors.

"Yeah, sure. He's doing really well for himself lately. He might even do better than Randy after a while."

"Do you think so," Miz's eye's flashed teasingly." You seem to be a pretty big Orton fan. You think you might switch teams?" He laughed when a small blush crept on the older man's cheeks.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll never switch teams or anything. I'm just saying the kid is getting good. And of course, who trained him after all? Randy is a pretty big fan favorite."

"Yeah, that he is. Not that I have a problem with that, of course. Between the two of us, I would say that I'm lucky to be even close to Randy." Was that a trace of sadness in the younger man's voice? Cole may have just found the weak spot.

"Yeah, but he's with you, isn't he? There must be something he sees in you. I mean, look at all the other people that would give anything to be with Randy right now. He has the pick of the litter after all, and here he is with you. Anyway, I need to be going. Don't be too hard on yourself, Mike. You're here for a reason. I'll see you later."

"Oh, yeah. I'll see you around. And thanks Micheal," said Miz placing a hand on the commentator's shoulder. "You're a good guy."

"Any time, Mikey," Cole said sweetly as he headed towards his room to pack. Phase one seemed to be well under way.

Mike headed up to the room that he was sharing with Randy. He knew that he was being stupid, but why did Randy want him? After he had been dumped by John, there was a fair amount of gossip claiming that the split was mostly his fault, after all. No one seemed to notice or care that John had been cheating on him with Nick for the last little while of their time as a couple.

Looking back he should have seen the signs that a breakup was inevitable. They seemed to be arguing over everything, and he did to some extent resent his in ring talent. Still, he cared about John, and when it had ended so terribly, he was devastated. He spent a whole month on Raw nursing his wounds, so to speak. Then he noticed Randy.

As he stepped inside his room, he saw his current lover sitting on the bed and rubbing his still sore shoulder, and he knew that he was this man's only lover. _"But isn't that what I thought about John,?"_ he thought in the back of his mind. As quickly as the thought came he brushed it out of his mind. He knew that Randy loved him. And as he sat down behind the larger man and kissed his neck, he knew that he was loved no matter what.

In another part of the world, Cody wasn't feeling all that reassured at the moment. It seemed that every time he talked to Ted recently, the blond kept on bringing up people he was hanging out with. At first he thought nothing of it, but these days it seemed any superstar or diva he talked to was being put under the microscope.

"I'm telling you, Dustin, this is getting ridiculous, "he said to his half brother. They still talked on the phone whenever they got the chance, and he seemed to give pretty good advice."Was it something I said? He knows I would never cheat on him, right?"

"Well, who knows with him" Dustin laughed. "He probably feels weird because the whole thing he has to do with Maryse. He's never had to act like he's had a girlfriend before."

"So, wouldn't he want to try and keep us closer instead of giving me the third degree?"

"People act differently when they are under stress," Dustin said shrugging. "Look, just give him a couple of weeks, and if he doesn't calm down a little, talk to him about it. Just don't try and make him feel to bad about the whole thing. I bet he doesn't even know he's doing it."

Cody sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe Dustin had a point. The distance was getting a little stressful, but that was no reason to get too defensive about things. And if he was truly honest with himself, the thought of his Ted hanging around other people when he wasn't there got to him, too.

"Maybe you're right, Dust," he said after a moment. "I just miss him, and I hate it when he starts to act jealous. I'll try to put up with it for the time being. Maybe he just needs time."

"I know that's all it is," Dustin soothed as a small smirk formed on his face. "You two are going to be fine, you'll see. Look, I'll talk to you later. I need to help dad out with some things today."

"Oh, alright. I'll talk to you later." Cody hung up his phone.

Dustin hung up the phone and smiled to himself. He knew that it was only going to be a matter of time now. All they needed was a little push in the right direction.

A/N: And the plot thickens.

Randy Muse: Dun Dun Dun...

JoMo Muse: This is intense stuff.

Miz Muse: I'll say...wait, did I really put on weight? ::looks in the mirror:

Randy Muse: You look fine, dear.

Me: O.o;; OK, you two are starting to sound like an old married couple. And with that, please review, everybody!


	7. It Can Only Spell Trouble

John was becoming more than slightly concerned about Ted these days. Maybe it was the look in his eyes that clearly said that he wasn't sleeping nearly as much as he should. Or maybe it was the fact that he cringed every time he heard about anyone that Cody was hanging out with. Or maybe it was still the look of borderline jealous rage he was now currently shooting at Drew through the television screen in an arena when he thought no one was looking. That was just plain creepy.

"You just keep your hands off him, you hear me?" he growled.

"No, Ted, he doesn't," John's voice caused him to jump two feet in the air.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, annoyed with himself for being caught.

"I wanted to talk to you. Ted, you're starting to worry me with this jealousy thing."

"I'm not jealous, OK?" Ted replied somewhat petulantly. "I just can't get the vision of them out of my head. There they were walking together and talking. I can't stand it, John!" John stared at the blond for a minute.

"Ted," he said slowly," Are you listening to yourself right now? They are allowed to talk to each other. They're friends. Friends walk and talk together all the time. So someone caught them talking and decided to put it on YouTube. They do that all the time. You know there's a video of Randy bumming a cigarette off of a fan?" He chuckled at that. The things people spent their time doing. "Look, my point is that you shouldn't worry about who Cody hangs out with."

"I know," Ted groaned. "I probably sound like an idiot, but I can't stand the thought of Cody being alone with someone else and me not being there to make sure nothing bad happens."

"What the hell are you talking about? What do you think that Drew is going to rape him or something? Do you think that now that you're not there to be with him that he's just going to all of a sudden start to sleep around? What's the deal with you?"

"I slept with someone else!" Ted blurted out. There was a stunned silence. John stood and stared at the younger man in front of him, and was for once lost for words. Ted sleep with someone else? Why in the world would he do that? He loved Cody. He went to open his mouth.

"What?" But it wasn't John's voice that growled that one word. No, this voice was lower and laced with a sudden rage and promised a potential ass kicking. Both John and Ted slowly turned their heads to take in the sight of a very pissed off Randy.

"Sweet mother of God." John mumbled.

10 minutes later...

"I CAN EXPLAIN, DAMN IT!"

Ted was now currently locked in his rental car with a now demonic looking Randy Orton prowling around the parameter.

**"**Explain? You want to fucking explain? You whore! You mother fucking whore! How long, you bastard! How long did it take before you went and screwed some slut? Huh? Cody loves you, you selfish prick!"

John had since given up on trying to restrain his friend having received a blow to the ribs for his efforts already. He stood back at a safe distance and tried to talk some sense into Randy before Ted ended up in the hospital.

"Look, you just need to calm down, Randy. There could be a very good explanation for all of this," he tried to soothe.

"And just what would that be, John?" Randy seethed as he kept his glare firmly on Ted. This was not going to be easy. Randy always saw Cody as his little brother. He would do anything in the world to protect him from any heart ache. John would have to be extremely careful.

"Maybe it was an accident." _Smooth, dumb ass. Smooth._

"An accident?" Randy screamed. "What, did someone fall and land on his dick?"

"Randy, please, just let me explain," Ted pleaded. He had to get his former mentor to calm down. He was becoming more and more frightened being stuck in a small car with Randy being in the state he was in. Visions of him with his jaw wired shut suddenly flashed in his head. These were not happy thoughts.

"Come on, Randy," John urged. "This is not the way to settle this. We need to take this somewhere else."

Seeing his friend calm down ever so slightly, John cautiously approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's get back in before someone calls the cops," he said gently.

After a moment's pause, Randy slowly nodded in agreement and started to head back inside. After waiting for Randy to walk a small distance Ted slowly made it out of his car and walked towards them at a distance just in case there was another temper flair. Deep down he knew he deserved to get his ass kicked, but he never wanted to do anything to hurt Cody. As he made his way through the hallways, he thought about how he had gotten into this mess to begin with.

_It was a couple weeks after Cody left and Ted sat in a bar feeling miserable. Music was playing fairly loudly, but he didn't really pay attention to it. He was lost in his own world to the point where he didn't notice the smaller man watching him from a distance. Then the younger man approached him._

_ "Hi," he said. "I'm Greg."_

_ "Hi, Greg," Ted said looking at him for the first time. He was somewhat lanky but handsome with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. "I saw you sitting here all by yourself, and you just looked so lonely."_

_ "My boyfriend and I are kind of having a long distance relationship."_

_ "Ouch. How's that going for you?"_

_ "It pretty much sucks," Ted admitted. "I miss having him close to me. I'm so used to being with him all the time but now..."_

_ "You're feeling a little withdrawal?" Ted nodded. "I know the feeling. Mine just got transferred last month." _

_ The conversation went on for the better part of an hour. Talking led to drinking. Drinking led to dancing. Dancing led to flirting..._

"And I guess you know the rest," Ted said as he paced John's locker room. A tear rolled down his face, but he didn't bother to wipe it. "I woke up the next morning next to him and I got out of there as fast as I could. I still can't believe I did it. But, now I wonder if Cody is doing the same thing. What if he found someone else and I'm stuck here? What if he moves on?"

Randy sat in a large chair staring into space with an intensity that was starting to make the other occupants of the room even more apprehensive. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked at Ted with a mixture of anger, and what was the worst, disappointment, and spoke calmly.

"You are going to have to tell Cody." Ted paled.

"How am I going to tell him that I cheated on him?" he asked desperately. "I can't, Randy. It'll kill him-"

"You should have thought of that before you slept with some random guy!"

Ted winced. He knew his friend was right, but how was he going to do this. He turned and looked to John for some support, but all he got was silence and a small shrug. After looking over his options for a minute, he turned back to Randy.

"I'll tell him," he said quietly. "But I'm doing it on my terms. It'll be when I can tell him to his face and when I know how to." He took a deep breath. "I never wanted to hurt him, Randy. You have got to believe that I love him."

Randy stared back at Ted, his face now blank. He suddenly felt very tired as if he had run a marathon. He never thought this of Ted. He thought he knew him better. At least he was owning up to his screw up, though. He had to give him that.

"I fully expect you to make this up to him, you hear me? Cody deserves someone who is honest and doesn't fuck around just because things get tough." Ted nodded numbly as fresh tears fell down his face. Randy sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder pulling the distraught man in an awkward embrace.

Ted placed his head on the larger man's shoulder and tried to draw in what strength he could. He knew deep down that he should tell Cody what had happened. But, could he do it? Could he admit that he had done that to him?

Cole could not believe what he had just heard. Ted had cheated on his precious Cody? What the hell was this world coming to? He knew that Ted worshiped the ground that Cody waled on. And Randy wasn't killing him? He was hugging him. He couldn't believe his luck! This was giving him so many ideas.

He headed to the ring, as he had heard Mike would be practicing there. A smirk crossed his face as a plan formed in his mind. If things worked out, he would have Randy in the palm of his hand in no time. He schooled his face into a look of concern as he approached Mike.

"Oh, hey Cole, you're back early. Hey, are you OK? What's wrong?"

A/N: Tensions are running high, Randy is pissed, Cody is clueless, and people are plotting. Something has got to give! What is Cole up to? How will this effect Mike? Is this going to spell the end for Cody and Ted? All this and more coming up. Reviews seem to be hard to come by these days. Please let me know what you think.


	8. Progress?

A few nights had passed, and Ted still had not spoken to Cody. He couldn't find the right time to do it, and he didn't want to see the betrayed look that he knew was going to cloud his lover's eyes. Randy wasn't helping matters much. It seemed every other conversation he was badgering him to tell Cody the truth, already. He seemed on edge about something else as well, but Ted couldn't tell for the life of him what that was about. He mentally shrugged as he played his video game.

Maybe he was just worried about Mike. The smaller man had been somewhat withdrawn over the last few days, and no one knew just why. It seemed that it had started the same night that he had blurted to John about his...affair. All the same, it wasn't normal for the Clevelander to be as quiet as he was, and it didn't sit right with Ted at all.

The fact of the matter was that he had other things on his mind that had to be taken care of first. He had to be honest to Cody about what had happened. That was why he had managed to get a couple of days off for the both of them. He had to tell his lover the truth no matter what the consequences would be.

He is pulled from his thoughts by a key sliding in the front door of his apartment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.

5 days later

Mike sat in the middle of yet another hotel room after an intense workout. He was reading a magazine, but if asked, there was no way he could guess what he was reading about. What was it that Randy wasn't telling him? Why was Ted so upset? He was Ted's friend, right?

But it seemed that both his lover and friend were keeping something pretty big from him, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. If Cole hadn't said anything to him, he wouldn't have even known that something was wrong to begin with. That Ted was crying, and Randy was holding him in an embrace, while John stood in the background looking uneasy. Of course, he wouldn't expect John to tell him anything.

So, he was left to only guess what the hell seemed to be wrong with his friends and lover. Maybe he should give Cody a call. He was about to pick up his phone when Randy walked with a look of annoyance and concern that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face recently.

"Where were you?" Mike asked jokingly. "Dinner is almost going to turn into a midnight snack." Randy groaned in realization.

"Oh, yeah, about that," he said distractedly. "I need to go talk to Ted for a while. You're OK to do something by yourself, are you?" He pulled the smaller man in his arms and placed a brief kiss on his temple. Mike was not having this.

"This is the third time; what the hell is going on?"

"I've been helping him with some stuff." Randy inwardly winced at the transparency of what he said. How lame did he sound?

"Fine, go ahead and help him with some "stuff"," Mike said rolling his eyes. "I was just about to call Cody, we haven't talked in a while."

"No!" the quick response made Mike jump back. "I mean, I don't think that's a good idea right now."

"Why?" Mike asked. "What is going on? Is there something I should know about? These are my friends, too, you know."

Randy studied the other man for a moment, feeling guilty at the hurt he could hear in his lover's voice. "Ted and Cody are having some problems right now, and I have been helping Ted through some of it."

"What kind of trouble?" Now Mike was really starting to get worried.

After a thinking it over, the other man told him everything that was going on the last few days. How Cody was refusing to talk to almost anyone apart from a couple people on Smackdown and his older brother, and would not even be in the same room with Ted. How Ted had been inconsolable and hated himself. All through the whole narrative, he could think of only one thing.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Ted asked me not to mention this to anyone. He didn't want this spread around the locker room-"

"You think that I would tell anyone about this? Like I'm some gossip whore?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"No!" Randy insisted. "It's not like that! You know how Ted is when he's upset about something. And Cody is practically a recluse these days. The few people who know what's going on have been sworn to secrecy."

"I'm not just anyone around here, damn it!" Mike seethed. "I thought that I was there friend. And I thought that you were my boyfriend." he added icily. "What else have you not told me about?"

"Mike, please," Randy didn't know what to say. "Look, why don't you come with me, and we'll both talk to Ted. Maybe we can get him to get some fresh air that doesn't involve promo work or trying to convince people he hasn't lost his mind. How does that sound?"

"So you told me because now I can be useful to you?" Mike sneered burying the feelings of betrayal.

"What? No! I'm asking, because I thought you would want to help. This isn't about you, Mike!'" Randy rubbed his forehead getting more and more angry with the situation. "Look, when you're done being a self centered ass, I'll be at Ted's trying to stop him from hanging himself."

"God, fine! I'm going to go eat dinner. Alone. Again." Mike grabbed his keys and wallet and stormed out of the room slamming the door for good measure. As he went down the hall, he didn't even notice he was being watched.

Randy found Ted in his room laying on his bed. With no one else around to talk to him aside from Maryse and he had regressed deeper and deeper into depression.

"Have you moved in the last few hours, Ted?" Randy asked. He was trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

"He's going to leave me," Ted droned. His gaze never left he ceiling." He's going to leave, and it will be all my fault. He won't talk to me, look at me..." Tears began to fall down his face.

"Ted, you can stop that from happening," Randy insisted. The emo routine was starting to get to him."But you need to pull yourself together. Yeah, you fucked up, but you just need to prove to Cody that you still love him, and that you won't do it again. Yeah, it's going to be hard, but it'll be worth it in the end."

"He's going to leave me, and-" but Randy had heard enough. Between Mike's outburst and Ted, well, lack of anything, it all became too much. He grabbed Ted and carried him to the bathroom with a hand over the younger man's mouth to muffle the shouts of protest. He quickly stripped him down to his boxers and threw him in the shower. "What the hell are you doing?"

Randy turned on the cold water at full blast and slapped Ted in the face for good measure. "Waking you to hell up! Now I'm going to day this again: If you want Cody to take you back, you need to do anything in your power to prove that you are not going to whore yourself out to the next guy that comes your way. Work on your appearance. Give him little gifts and shit! Whatever it takes, Ted!"

Ted looked back at Randy temporarily speechless. Then he found his voice.

"OK," he murmured weakly.

"Well, that's one way to get him out of bed." The two looked to the doorway and saw John (H) and Maryse standing outside the small bathroom looking amused.

"It's good to see you out of bed," John continued. "Now when you're ready, we can try to get Cody to stop hiding in his room, and we'll be in business. Where the hell is Mike, he can usually help out."

"Mike's busy," Randy replied trying not to betray too much of what was going on. There was no way he wanted John to know that they were arguing. That was the last thing he needed right now.

"He doesn't know what's going on yet," Ted said, unknowingly coming to Randy's rescue for the time being.

"He doesn't know what's going on at all?" John asked surprised.

"The only people who know around here are the people in this room and John," Maryse threw in. "The less people sticking there noses in this, the better."

"Good point," John mused. "But I wouldn't keep him in the dark too long. He acts all hurt if you do. I should know." "_And it looks like you know, too. Don't you, Randy?"_

"Look, let's just worry about him right now," Randy grabbed a towel and flung it at Ted. "We have a relationship that needs some serious rehab."

John watched him and knew that there was something he wasn't saying, but he kept it to himself. He did what he could do for his friend, and he hadn't made him see sense. Ah well, he would just have to learn the hard way.

A/N: OK, so Ted is getting off of his ass. Will he be able to prove to his coddles that he isn't a complete man whore? Will it be enough to save his otherwise doomed relationship? Reviews are food. Feed me.


	9. Maybe?

Josh Mathews watched as Mike stormed down the hallway and followed the distraught wrestler. He wasn't quite sure what the hell was going on, but he hadn't seen Mike so pissed. Curious, he tried to catch up with him.

"Hey, Mike!" he called. The younger man didn't stop or seem to notice. "Mike!"

He turned stopped and turned around. "Hey, Josh," he mumbled. He seemed to be fighting back tears.

"You look like you have a lot of your mind. Are you alright?" Josh asked concerned for Mike's well being.

"I'm fine, it's just Randy and I were talking, and there are some things that he is keeping from me. He's been spending a lot of time with Ted, and he's been really withdrawn."

"Well, with Ted and Cody having their problems, he might just be helping them out," Josh said shrugging.

"You knew what was going on?" Mike asked.

"Well, yeah, Randy mentioned it to me," Josh said. Mike put his head in his hands. Randy had lied to him.

"He said that only a few other people knew about it," he said, the feelings of betrayal returning to him. "I wonder what else he has lied to me about."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you," Josh soothed quickly. "Maybe Ted told him not to tell you and he just said that to spare your feelings. We all know that you can be protective of Cody; almost as much as Randy is now that I think about it."

"What does Ted think I would have done? I care about him, too. No, that makes no sense."

"Look, I was just going to have some dinner. Why don't join me, and we can talk about it?"

"Yeah, I guess I could go with you." Mike smiled slightly as he followed the commentator.

As they made their way outside they heard yelling. They followed the noise until they saw Ted yelling into his cell phone.

"Damn it, Cody! I am not just giving up on this! I just can't! Not after everything we've been through together! Tell me the one thing that I have to do to get you to stay with me, and I will do it with out question!" There seemed to be a pause on the other line. Then his expression went from determined look to a look of terror. "'You want me to get it put where?"

"We should let them work out the details," Josh said.

"Just glad that they are going to be able to work out their shit," Mike said although he couldn't bring himself to be all that happy. He still couldn't believe that the one person he thought he could trust had been holding out on him about something so big. But he brushed aside the feelings for now. He would spend time with Josh and not have to worry about anything else.

Ted hung up his phone and found Randy. "He told me what he wants me to do."

"Good, now you're going to do it and be grateful for the opportunity," Randy said seriously.

"But he wants me to," Ted whispered the request in Randy's ear. Randy considered what he was just told for a moment. He then burst out laughing.

"That's not funny, Randy!" Ted shouted, getting pissed off.

"That's hilarious!" Randy said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Quit glaring at me, Teddy! I know the perfect guy to get you out of your little...problem."He collapsed in another fit of laughter as he lead the pissed off and scared younger man to do some planning.

That night Mike sat on the edge of his bed wondering what was happening with Cody. It was eerie to think about him as quiet, the younger man usually being full of energy and passion. He had hoped that Ted could make it up to him. Maybe then things could get back to normal and Randy would stop brushing him off. He knew that they were all friends, but this was getting ridiculous.

The bathroom door opened, and Randy stepped out freshly showered with a towel wrapped around his waist. He studied his lover who was only wearing pajama pants and he lay down next to where he was sitting. He rubbed soothing circles on Mike's lower back smiling at the content sigh that escaped his lips.

"Come here, baby," He cooed as he wrapped an arm around his waste and pulled him closer. Mike allowed himself to be pulled into a lying position, and molded himself to the larger man. They gazed into each others' eyes and shared a sweet, slow kiss. Randy's tongue brushed Mike's lower lip asking for entry which was willingly given. As the kiss deepened, hands explored the expanse of flesh. The towel and the pajama pants slipped off, and the sweet friction was slowly frying Mike's mind.

Soon, Mike found himself on his back and butterfly kisses were being applied to his neck, moving down to his right nipple. He groaned loudly as the sensitive nub was lapped at and nibbled lightly. The left would soon meet the same treatment.

"Oh, God, that feels nice," he gasped. He was already unbearably hard it was being neglected. He whimpered as he felt it come in contact with Randy's stomach.

"Need something, darling?" He said gently in his ear.

"P-p-please," Mike whimpered as he bucked his hips slightly.

"Well, you are going to get something you're going to-" Suddenly, Randy's phone rang. "Son of a; hold on babes." He grabbed his phone.

Mike let his head fall back and rest his head on the pillow, stunned at what just happened. Weren't they just about to have sex? He could have sworn that was about to happen, but, no, there was Randy talking on the phone. On the other side of the room. In a low voice. What the hell was wrong with this picture?

"Just remember to keep putting lotion on it periodically and to wash it like they told you to. He'll love it, don't worry." He chuckled and hung up the phone. The look of amusement left his face and was replaced by a predatory smirk as dove back in bed and started to kiss every available inch of skin he could reach.

Mike struggled to get back into the mood, but he just couldn't do it. They were about to have sex, damn it! Whoever was on the phone could have damn well waited. His body was relaxed and pliant, but now it remained tense and unresponsive. When he felt a lubed finger brush his entrance gently, he tensed.

"I'm not really in the mood tonight," he said quickly in response to the worried look Randy was giving him. "I think I'm getting a headache."

Randy glowered just a little. _"Sure, you have a headache" he thought. "Didn't have much of a headache a minute ago." _He felt a pang of guilt for taking the phone call, but it was really important and he needed Mike to trust him right then. "Do you just want to grind?"

"Not really," Mike said. "Can we just go to sleep? I feel really tired."

"Yeah, I guess so." Randy said as he rolled on his back. He didn't want Mike to see the dark look he knew was forming on his face. Was John right about Mike being jealous over stupid shit? He wasn't sure what to think anymore. When he was sure that Mike had drifted off to sleep he slowly made it to the bathroom to take care of his "problem". He washed his hands and made it back to bed snuggling close to Mike and spooning him to his body. Mike wiggled slightly before settling with his head against the larger man's chest.

As he watched Mike sleep, he began to think about where they were going. But he decided that one lousy night was not worth walking away just yet. After all, this had been straining on just about everyone involved. Yes, he would give Mike some space to deal with his insecurities, hang out with Cena (it had been a while), and then they would figure something out from there. With that decided in his mind, sleep was not far behind.

A couple days of this later Josh got a phone call.

"Hey Josh, can I talk to you?" Mike asked.

"Sure, Mike. You know you can always talk to me."

A/N: Stay tuned.


	10. Who Knows?

Two days turned into a week. A week then turned into a month. And things were not getting any better. Mike seemed to become both withdrawn and clingy at the same time. Randy didn't even know that this was possible. Yet, here he was with a lover that both wouldn't let him out of his sight but consistently not let him touch him. All he wanted to do was talk about things. It was driving the older man insane. Just what did Mike want from him?

"What exactly does Mike want from me?" he demanded. It was early afternoon before a Raw show.

"You're asking the wrong person," John said as they walked through the arena together. "You did kind of lose yourself in playing referee for Ted and Cody."

"I would just hate to see them mess up a good thing," Randy insisted. "And I had to keep Mike out of it. Ted made me swear not to tell him anything, I should have just stuck to that, and I probably wouldn't be in half the trouble that I'm in now."

"He would have figured out that something was going on," John pointed out.

"I guess," Randy admitted. "It doesn't mean I'm happy about this"

"Of course not," John said. "But at least he's talking to you."

"Yeah, about everything except the shit we have to deal with," Randy said. "He's acting paranoid, like if I walk away from him, I won't come back."

"Well, that has happened before," John pointed out. His friend let out a small sigh.

"I'm starting to wonder if it was all John after all," He said after a small pause of hesitation.

"Randy, what you need to do is sit him down and find out exactly what is going on in his head. Find out his worst insecurities, and yours for that matter, and figure this shit out. Also, there should be some time for nudity. Lots and lots of nudity. For sex."

"Fucking horn dog."

"Don't judge me."

Meanwhile, Mike was doing his own thinking on his problems with Randy. He was trying to just talk to his boyfriend, so he would bring up anything and everything that was on his mind. The long road trip in front of them, the grueling schedule, new workout routines, new haircuts; whatever he could think of, he talked about it.

What really worried him was that he was losing the connection he had with Randy ever since he had admitted to not telling him about Ted, Randy was becoming more and more withdrawn. Oh, there was that one night that he had tried to seduce Mike, but what happened? He answered his phone! In the middle of sex, no less! Did he even notice the stricken look on Mike's face as he pulled away from him? Did he see the tears that had threatened to fall down his face? (thank God, he had managed to pull himself together in time.)

But from that moment on, he was afraid to let Randy even touch him. He couldn't stand to be hurt like that. Was he being selfish? He knew that Randy was getting frustrated with his behavior, but he just couldn't do it; after he saw things going back to something resembling normal. He couldn't wait for that to happen. Not just because of the lack of sex, but just so they could get that level of intimacy back.

"Hey, Mike." He jumped when he heard someone saying his name. Josh was walking towards him with a smile on his face.

"Oh, hey Josh," Mike said with a smile. Josh had been a great friend as of late.

"You seem pretty lost in thought. Are things still weird?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Mike said as his eyes darkened a little." Randy just is getting more and more distant. You'd think it was him and Ted that was the couple instead of us."

"That's a visual," Josh laughed. "Can you imagine those two together? Oh, sorry."

"No, don't be. I'm sure that they aren't doing anything. It's just" Mike stopped. A tear formed in his eye. "Am I not good enough for him anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, looking worried.

"It just seems like all he wants to do is hang out with John or help Ted," he fumed. "He's only tried for sex twice in the past month. Is there something wrong with me? Is he ready to move on?"

"I think these are things that you need to go over with him." Josh said gently as he took Mike's hand. I'm sure he doesn't realize what he's doing."

"Maybe you're right," Mike said as he dried his eyes. He managed to give Josh a weak smile and kissed his cheek lightly. "Thanks, Josh. You really know what to say."

Josh went to say something in reply when a figure behind Mike caught his attention. "Oh, hey Michael."

"Hey, Josh," the ring announcer said, not seeming to notice the position the two men were in. "Mike. What are you two up to?"

"We're just talking," Mike said casually. "What are you up to?"

"Same old, same old," the other man said. "Have you seen Randy? I needed to talk with him about something."

"He's been hanging around John a lot lately," Mike said. "Cena," he added with a chuckle as Cole raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea where they are now."

"Are you alright? You seem like something is bothering you."

"Nothing much, really. Just tired from the schedule." Mike looked down and realized that he was still holding Josh's hand. He felt his face redden and Cole walked away saying that he would look around for him. He didn't notice the smirk forming on the older man's face.

"Anyway, thanks for listening, Josh," Mike said after a pause. "I really want this to work out, but that can't happen if we don't talk."

"Exactly," Josh said sympathetically. "You two will be just fine. I'll see you later." The two men exchanged a brief hug before parting ways. As Mike got out of earshot, Josh pulled out his phone and dialed.

An hour before the show, the two lovers found themselves in Randy's private locker room. Mike was sitting in a chair, and Randy was standing behind him rubbing his shoulders lightly.

"How are you feeling tonight?" Randy asked gently.

"Just a little sore," Mike mumbled. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little tense lately. I hate seeing you upset." Taking his chances, he let his hands roam downwards slightly. He was carefully rubbing the other man's chest, and he smiled inwardly when he heard the sigh of pleasure that followed. At least he knew the other man was alive; until Mike realized what was happening and tensed. "See? You love it when I do that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. It's not you," Mike insisted. "I just have a lot on my mind." In an instant Randy pulled him out of the chair and in his arms. He sighed and awkwardly lay his head on his shoulder.

"I just wish you could relax with me," he said quietly. He kissed Mike's neck. "Let me help you, please."

Mike drew back slightly looked in Randy's eyes and licked his lips. After a moment's thought he leaned in and they kissed. It started out slow, but soon it became deeper and more sensual. They were both panting slightly when they broke away. They stared at each others eyes for a moment, and exchanged a smile. Neither of them knew if this was the last moment they would share as a couple.


	11. Up In the Air and Can't Get Down

Ted stood nervously outside Cody's hotel room. They had phone calls that lasted for hours, and he was sure that his phone bill would be massive. He didn't care. How could he? He was going to make things right with the one person who meant more to him than anything else in the world. Because that person was Cody. And he was going to prove it tonight.

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of the door opening. He wanted to grab Cody in his arms and kiss him for all that he was worth. And with all the love on his face he leaped forward...only to come face to face with Dustin.

"Well, glad to see you, too," Dustin sneered, seeing the smile drop from Ted's face. "Cody has been waiting for you. Don't fuck it up."

"I won't," Ted said, determined not to look like an idiot in front of the older man. He had screwed up enough as it was.

"Good luck," And with that Dustin walked off. Ted watched him leave for a moment to gather his nerves and then he walked inside. Cody sat on the bed, his back facing him. He took a moment to study the lean frame that he had fallen in love with. His dark brown hair, his olive colored skin, his blue eyes, he loved it all.

Cody suddenly realized he was not alone. He looked up and they gazed at each other for a moment. Cody cocked his head to the side as he studied his best friend of all these years. The man who had been with him through everything, the good and the bad. He was the first and only one he made love with, shared all his dreams, slept with him through the night.

"Sorry about Dustin," he said after a few moments' silence. "I was trying to explain to him why Aqua Man sucks, and he just wasn't getting it. I think I was starting to tire him out."

"Really?" Ted said. He shook his head slowly. "He is such a nerd."

Another moment of silence followed. And then a small smile started to form on Cody's face. And he chuckled ever so slightly, but it was natural with no sign of it being forced. Ted allowed himself to smile, and soon they were both laughing over the sheer ludicrousness of the situation. In one swift motion, Cody wrapped his arms around Ted and held him close to his body.

They stayed like that for what seemed like a sweet eternity. Cody's head rested on Ted's shoulder. Ted held the younger man in his arms, not daring to say anything that could ruin this one moment he had and could have lost forever. _"Never again," he swore to himself. _

They pulled away from each and Ted could feel the tears fall on his face. His throat tightened, and he tried to say something, but Cody cupped his face, and wiped the tears from his eyes. And in an instant, they were locked in a sweet kiss. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it held all the love and affection that the two held for the other.

"You don't have to say it, Teddy," he whispered sweetly even though his eyes were damp. "I know."

"I love you so much," Ted said. Their lips met again, and it was as if they felt cleansed inside. They were soul mates reunited, and they clung to one another as if afraid the other would vanish if he were to let go. They didn't have sex that night. They talked and kissed briefly just glad to be together. They slept as close as possible, and it was the best night's sleep for they both had in weeks.

* * *

Josh opened the door wondering who could be knocking so late. His eyes widened when he saw who was on the other side. The defeated look on his face was almost unnerving.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Can I stay for the night?" The question was barely audible.

"Um...sure, I guess. It's just me, and there is only one bed-"

"That's fine. Thanks. I need it."

"What about Ra-"'

"Please. I don't want to think about it."

* * *

The next day, Ted and Cody hit the gym, went to separate media appearances, and eventually ended up at the Raw taping where they both were making an appearance. Maryse was visibly relieved.

"You should have heard this one, Cody," she insisted. "I was going to have to sick Natty on him, if he didn't shut the hell up and make up with you."

"That would have been entertaining to watch," Cody said. He smiled sweetly at the look of sheer horror on Ted's face.

"He's freaking out, cause he knows I would have kicked his ass," Natalia said as she approached and hugged her girlfriend from behind.

"I will not argue with what you just said at all," Ted said, smiling, but still looking nervous. The others laughed at him.

"Don't worry, Ted," Cody said kissing his cheek. "I'll make sure you won't get hurt. Or at least kiss your boo boos. Cause I'm not actually jumping in front of Natalia for you. That's suicide, babe."

"And don't you bitches forget it," Natty laughed. "Oh, hey, John."

John walked towards the group looking worried.

"Have any of you guys seen Randy?" He asked. "He's been acting strange all day."

"No, we haven't," Ted said looking concerned. "What do you mean, strange?"

"He's just been in this really dark mood. He asked me if I had seen Mike anywhere, and when I said I didn't know, he got really pissed off. I hope that their OK."

"Hey, I saw Mike just about an hour ago," Natty said. "Now that I think about it, he looked kind of depressed."

"I wonder what's going on," Ted mused.

* * *

"We're going to have to talk about this, you know."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Then stop avoiding me! Where were you last night?" There is a long pause.

"That is none of your business!" Longer pause.

"You know, I'm really starting to think you don't care what happens to us anymore."

"I was with Josh, OK?" A small sigh. "Don't look at me like that. Nothing happened, OK? I just needed some time to think."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Do you want to still be with me or not?"

"Yes! Of course I do! I love you. Let's try to work this out, please?"

* * *

"I'm sure that it's nothing that they can't work out themselves," John said. "It's just that it's weird with Randy being all quiet. Ah well, I still need to talk to a couple of people before the show. I'll see you guys later."

"OK," Cody said as he began to change into his ring gear behind a partition in the locker room. "I can't wait for tonight to be over so we can-" His jaw dropped. "Theodore Marvin, is that what I think it is?"

"What's going on back there?" Maryse asked. "Are you OK, Ted?"

"I'mabsolutelyfinethereisnoreas ontocomebackhere," Ted spluttered. But it was too late. Natalia peeked her head in to see what Cody was gawking at. And there it was.

"Is...is that Captain America's shield on your left ass cheek?"

"I..I love you Teddy. Is that why you were talking to Randy so much?"

* * *

"A tattoo? This has all been over a tattoo?"

"He was nervous, and I knew a guy who was really good. What's the big deal?"

"That's the strangest thing I have ever heard. I hope they made up now."

A gentle laugh.

"But why all the secrecy? I thought you told me everything. He's my friend, too."

"He told me to keep it between me and him, and that's that. You don't see me pressing you about what happened last night."

"Nothing happened last night! He slept on one side of the bed, and I slept on the other."

"Fine," Realization dawns. "You slept in the same bed?"

"Wait, that came out wrong-"

"How could you?"

"Wait, I can explain! It's not what you think! Randy!" The door slams. A soft whimper. "Oh, God, no."

* * *

John H. walked through the building feeling bored. His spot was already over, so he decided to just hang out backstage. Hearing the sound of obnoxious laughter, he followed it to the locker room the younger children had taken over. The door burst open.

"You said it was what you wanted!" Ted insisted sounding indignant.

* * *

"You said that I was the one you loved!"

"You are! Nothing happened!"

"I saw you kiss his cheek the other day! And now you're saying you slept with him?"

"Just in the same bed, I swear to God, that is all that happened!"

"I'm not sure if I believe you."

"Baby,"

"I'm not even sure if I trust you."

* * *

"Oh, Teddy Bear!" Cody said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can't believe I made you do that. But it looks amazing, it really does."

"I'll do anything for you," Ted said. His face was still bright red. Cody kissed his lover soundly on the lips.

"We're going to be alright, Ted." he said.

"Get a room," John said smiling. "No, seriously, it's good to see you two are back on good terms. The thought of you guys apart is just weird."

"Thanks for offering a shoulder, John. If it weren't for you and Randy, I wouldn't have made it."

"Speaking of whom, have you seen him?" John asked. I was supposed to hang out with him, but he's not answering his cell phone."

"Hi, John."

The group turned to see Randy approaching them with a blank look on his face. He managed a small smile when he saw Ted and Cody standing so close. Then he looked back to John.

"Hey, can I stay with you tonight?" he asked. "Something has come up, and I can't find anywhere else to stay."

"Yeah, sure." John said looking concerned. "What happened? Are you and Mike-"

"I'll tell you about it later," his voice turned dark. "Come on with me."

"OK," John said shrugging. "Later, guys."

"Call me later, Randy," Ted called out after them.

"What the hell is going on?" Cody asked.

The only sound in response was a small sob. They turned to an adjoining hallway. There was Mike, sliding down the wall with his face scrunched into a grimace.

"Mike," Maryse said as she slowly walked towards her friend. "What happened."

He said nothing. He just looked up at the assembled friends and began to cry.

THE END?

Ted Muse: This is how this is ending?

Me: Yes.

Miz muse: What the hell?

Me: Well, Miz, this is my way of saying...

Miz: Yeah?

Me:You're adopted.

Randy Muse: Now that's just wrong!

Cody Muse: A whole lot of questions haven't been answered!

Ted Muse: Who has it in for me and Cody? What's John M up to? Are Randy and Mike going to be OK? Is my tattoo not kick ass?

Me: All these questions will be answered in Paradise Stolen. Coming within the next week. (at least two chapters.) So...Read and review!


End file.
